The Red Wagon Restaurant – Vancouver, BC

2296 East Hastings Street
Vancouver, BC V5L 1V4
(604) 568-4565

BBP Full Score Card

The Red Wagon Restaurant got the approval stamp from Triple D’s!
(Diner’s, Drive-Ins and Dives, Foodnetwork.com) Famous for their pulled pork pancakes!

*** Note: For more info, visit redwagoncafe.com

Piperade & Goat Cheese Omelette
3 egg omelette w/ slow cooked peppers and onions, goat cheese, tomato sauce, homefries, toast
$9.50

RED WAGON – From the outside, it looks like any other hole-in-the-wall diner but I think it’s a hole-in-one! (See what I did there? I blow myself away sometimes haw haw haw) This place is always packed so don’t expect to just roll out of bed and in for brunch on a weekend unless you know one of the bearded hipsters working in the kitchen! It is a bit on the pricier side for diner breakfast I suppose, but you get CHING CHANG WALLA WALLA BING BANG for your buck! Looking at it this omelette, yes, it looks kind of plain jane…but it was the best omelette I’ve ever had! The egg was fluffy and goat cheese = drool! The “home fries” as they call them were a bit under seasoned but nothing the table S & P couldn’t fix.

Super Trucker
2 eggs, 2 of their famous pulled pork sandwiches, crisp pork belly, homefries, toast
$14.50

OK! Let’s talk about this monstrous breakfast – THE SUPER TRUCKER, dun dun dun! Just look at the pork belly in the middle there. It was a three inch square cube of fatty goodness that was pretty appetizing (especially with the Sriracha!). The pulled pork pancakes – I was a bit wary about them since I’m a fruity pancake kind o’ gal but they were SCRUM-DIDDLY-UMPTIOUS and a Red Wagon specialty! Not a meal for the faint hearted! Definitely schedule a nap afterwards and maybe don some stretchy pants!

Hang Dao

Pacific National Exhibition
The home of Playland Amusement Park, the Vancouver Giants Hockey team, and one of our favorite, Fright Nights. The P.N.E has been a long time favorite with locals and tourist alike. Throughout the year, whether it’s going to see a concert, watch a horse race, or taking the family out for fun-filled adventure – you got it here. Just make sure you check out the website before you do go! The best time during the year to hit up the P.N.E has to be the end of Summer ( end of August until Labor Day). FOOD galore! Funnel cake, corn dogs, and bbq chicken are the top of many. Oh and of course, tons of shows to watch from like the famous ‘Super Dog’ show.  Ahhh but for the younger crowds, Playland Amusement Park, is where it’s at.
http://www.pne.ca/

Playland, Amusement Park
Growing up in Vancouver, like most kids and teenagers, Playland has been the star of attraction every summer. Rides, mini donuts, games, your first kiss, what’s not to love? Now this isn’t your Disneyland or SixFlags theme park, it’s one of dem small town amusement park. The famous ‘Wooden Roller Coaster” was built in 1958, board by board, has to be one of my favorite. I remember as a teen, lining up again and again, just to hear my uncle or brother’s high-pitch screams. *smiles* What kept Playland alive after all these years, is the rich history it has.
http://www.pne.ca/playland/

Hapa Izakaya Coal Harbour – Vancouver, BC

110 West Cordova Street
Vancouver, BC V6B 4K2, Canada
(604) 420-4272

 

BBP Full Scorecard

Voted “Top Five Izakayas In North America” by Bon Appétit Magazine in 2011; topping “Industry and Readers Choice” 2012 awards for Best Japanese and Best Izakaya in the Georgia Straight weekly: and “Best Casual Chain, Silver” by Vancouver Magazine in 2012, Hapa Izakaya offers a winning combination of a sexy room, well-priced portions of Japanese tapas, sushi, cocktails and premium sake.

For more info & other locations, please visit hapaizakaya.com

Ebi Mayo
Tempura wild shrimp, spicy mayo sauce

Hapa, oh, Hapa. After hearing so many glowing reviews, I decided to crawl out from the rock I live under and join some new friends for a casual Friday night dinner. Verdict? A pleasure for the eyes, but not so much for the taste buds.

The food is spectacularly average. Aside from the unique and esthetically pleasing presentation of the dishes, there wasn’t much about the flavours that made me want to do a food induced face plant. Even though some of the dishes were good, I couldn’t help thinking there are many other restaurants around Vancouver who can crank out the same thing, and just do it better. Some of the dishes were very salty, others edible but uninspiring, and one dish, although flavour-wise was pretty good, just had the texture of rubber.

Beef Tataki
Lightly seared AAA beef, sesame-chili sauce

Arubi Saba
Seared marinated mackerel sashimi

I love the modern fusion concept of the restaurant, and the decor wasn’t too shabby either. Many people have said the ambiance can be a bit of an intimate mood killer since it gets pretty loud, but I actually liked the robustness of Hapa. The yelling, the music, the cocktails and beers – maybe I’m just one of the few oddballs who believes a combo like that translates into something lively and fun.

I wouldn’t mind going here for a night out with the homies, but it’s definitely not a place I’d go to for a good meal. To be fair, it may have just been the W. Cordova location so hopefully the next opportunity out there will be at a more renowned location.

Spicy Chopped Scallops
Scallops, cucumber, egg crepe wrapping

Ika
Grilled squid, sake soy garlic marinade

  Grilled Ika (squid) has always been my long time favorite. Tonight was deeelish! I totally sneaked more bites than the rest of group, guilty! However, this dish does has its good and bad days, tonight was definitely good. 😉

Hapa was the first Izakaya to join the Vancouver Aquarium’s Ocean Wise™ seafood conservation program in 2012. Just handful of Japanese restaurant partners are in the program to date.

Karaage
Deep-fried boneless chicken, soy ginger sauce

Karubi
Apple and orange marinated, AAA beef short ribs; grilled

Bella Gelateria
Being in Coal Harbour, there are numerous fantastic places to eat, drink and play. One place that almost always has a line-up is Bella Gelateria. Famous for their Old-World Handcrafted Gelato, Bella won the People’s Choice Award in the 2012 Florence Italy Gelato Festival. When you walk by, BEWARE. There is a window showing them making the gelato behind the order counter….don’t have a Homer Simpson drool moment and walk into it, it’s like a mosquito to a zap light!
http://www.bellagelateria.com/

Murchie’s Tea & Coffee
As an avid tea drinker myself, I LOVE Murchies for its selection and knowledge. It doesn’t hurt that the founder, John Murchie, learned about tea while serving Queen Victoria during her residence at Balmoral Castle! Try the No.22 Blend at one of the five locations around to serve you!
http://www.murchies.com/store/

Phnom Penh – Chinatown, Vancouver

Phnom Penh – (604) 682-5777
244 E Georgia St.
Vancouver, BC V6A1Z7

BBP Full Score Card

For years, Phnom Penh has won multiple awards, and would have constant long line-ups for a table. There is just so much this place has to offer when it comes to different exotic dishes. If you never tried, what are you waiting for? Go! Eat your heart out!

***Note: If you know any dishes to share, please leave a comment!

Canh Ga Lan Bot (Phnom Penh Deep-fried Chicken Wings) – Deep-fried chicken wings with garlic, served with a lemon & pepper sauce. S: $8.25 L: $12.95

 on Chicken Wings :  Soooo these little guys are known as, “Crack Chicken Wings”.  Why? They are delicious and addictive (as crack is to addicts).  I promise you that you won’t be disappointed, and that I didn’t make up that nick name.  Everybody and anybody who has been here knows that this dish is the first to order. It’s that good. Deep fried, then sprinkled with salt/sugar,  fried garlic,  and green onion, with a side dip made up of lemon juice and pepper. Sweet, salty and sour… Oh my, my mouth is watering just reminiscing on how they danced it’s way towards my mouth.  *happy sigh*

Marinated Thit Bo (Butter Beef) – Thinly sliced specialled prepared rare beef on a bed of fried garlic, cilantro and their house special sauce. $13.25 CAD

 on Butter Beef : … silky, drool-worthy goodness that literally melts in your mouth. Cliche, I know, but it must be said! Hands down my favourite item we tried and as I write this now, my overactive saliva glands aren’t thrilled that Phnom Penh closed an hour ago. At first glance I was skeptical because it was covered, and I mean wrinkles on Gordon Ramsay’s forehead covered, in my least favourite herb, cilantro. However, not only did I use my fork to push others away from the plate of delicate slices of heaven, I was using it to pitchfork entire bushels of cilantro into my gaping, disbelieving mouth. Needless to say, this dish didn’t become a well-known local favourite by fluke!

Canh Chua Ca (Phnom Penh Hot and Sour Soup with Fish) – Their most exotic soup. Specially prepared with fresh cod, tomato, pineapple, mint leaves and other tropical spices. S: $12.75 L: $25.50

 on Canh Chua – Vietnamese Sweet and Sour Fish Soup: Canh chua is certainly an unusual flavour which can be a miss for some palates, but for those who have grown to appreciate the complex balance, it is nothing short of a savory sweet ambrosia. Loaded with fish, bean sprouts, tomatoes, celery, and pineapple, this is definitely one of the healthier options on the menu. The first spoon gives you a hit of sour, but then rounds off to a sweet taste, and just to make sure that really was something sweet you tasted, you go back for a second spoon and ah, yes, can recognize that slight pineapple note. Unsure of whether or not you actually like the soup, you go for a third spoon, with rice, and notice how the blandness of those Jasmine scented grains perfectly balance everything together. By now you’ve realized it’s also got a bit of a spicy kick, and ba-zing! You are now an addict!

Com Xao Trieu Chau (Trieu Chau Fried Rice) – Finely chopped chinese sausage, egg, carrots, green onions and rice. Beautifully spiced and stir-fried to perfection. $9.95

Lychee Milkshake – You just have to try it.

FOOD

Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie (BBP Favourite!)
With kick-ass ambience, stimulating decor and tantalizing modern Chinese tapa-style dishes, it’s no wonder Bao Bei was named “One of Canada’s Best New Restaurants” by Where Magazine in 2010! BBP gives EXTRA kudos for the unique cocktails (get the Guizhou Donkey), sustainable seafood, hormone free/organic meat & free range eggs!
http://www.bao-bei.ca/

New Town Bakery
Where do we start?! Christine has been known to sneak the last Coconut Bun from the box when we weren’t looking. BBQ Pork Buns (Cha Siu Bao) that are so tempting, if we didn’t buy equal numbers, it might be the end of BBP! Enough said!
http://newtownbakery.ca/

Tosi Italian Food Importers 
Tosi & Company has been importing scrumptious Italian specialty products into the Lower Mainland since 1906! This family-run business is teeming with chefs from all over Vancouver looking for the finest ingredients like their organic parmesan to make their clientele drool. Go see Angelo…but remember, you can’t just walk through the front door, you gotta ring the bell!
http://tosifoods.com/

                                                                      
TO DO

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden
http://vancouverchinesegarden.com

Vancouver Police Museum                           
http://www.vancouverpolicemuseum.ca